Belgium (NBp) - In an effort to demonstrate his capabilities in other mind games, world chess champion Garry Kasparov challenged the world in a game of tic-tac-toe. With 24 hours allowed for each move, the game took a total of nine days to complete.

As many tic-tac-toe analysts predicted, the game ended in a tie. "Since the match ended in a tie, I have proven that I am equal to all of the tic-tac-toe players of the world," announced Kasparov after the match.

Kasparov's opening gambit, putting an 'X' in the upper left corner, rocked the tic-tac-toe world. The consensus among his Internet opponents was to put the 'O' in the lower right corner. Within a couple more moves, it became clear that a tie was imminent.

Kasparov already has plans for a new match up with the world. Assuming that the computers are still working, he hopes to begin a Battleship match in January 2000. That match is expected to last most of the year.